Todayโs path rounds are on ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
๐๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ refers to a mite infestation, and pulmonary refers to the lungs. Putting that together, pulmonary acariasis is a mite infestation within the lungs. Gross! ๐คฎ
๐๐ก๐จ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
We see this condition in Old World monkeys and great apes!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
Pulmonary acariasis is caused by the mite ๐๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐๐จ๐ฅ๐. Monkeys and apes acquire them through close contact with infected animals. Up to 100% of wild rhesus monkeys have this infection, which is pretty wild!
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ?
These mites burrow into the lung tissue, producing ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ. These mite houses are basically holes containing multiple mites, surrounded by a layer of scar tissue produced by the body to try and protect itself. In some cases, these mite houses can produce ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐, which are large air-filled pouches within the lung caused by damage.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐๐?
Most monkeys show no signs of disease, unless they have very severe infections. So most cases of pulmonary acariasis are diagnosed at necropsy, as an ๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ (not related to cause of death).
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐?
Common anti-parasitic medications can be used to treat the infection. In severely affected monkeys, treatment can help reduce their symptoms.
๐๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ฌ
1) Pneumonyssus mites.
2-4) Really sad looking lungs from pulmonary acariasis.
5-6) One unique feature of this infection under the microscope is a black pigment produced by the mites. When the light is polarized, this pigment glows! Neat ๐
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ
Abee CR, Mansfield K, Tardif S, Morris T. Nonhuman primates in biomedical research: Diseases. Academic Press 2012.
Photos 1-4 Noahโs Arkive contributor Luginbuhl, Kesdangsakonwut, Farrell licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
